Scholarships

The University of Northern Iowa offers scholarships each year to deserving students, on the basis of merit and/or achievement.

Applying for scholarships at UNI has never been easier! Below you'll learn about scholarships that can be awarded using your admission information, as well as how to apply for hundreds of scholarships through the UNI scholarship application!

Want to learn more? Keep reading for information regarding types of scholarships and scholarship policies.

I Want More Information About:

Incoming Freshman Scholarships

Transfer Student Scholarships

Military and Veteran Student Scholarships

Off-Campus Scholarships

UNI Scholarship Directory

UNI Scholarship Application

Types of Scholarships

Admission Based

Also called "automatic scholarships," admission based scholarships are awarded based on information you provide when you apply to UNI, such as your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. There is no separate application required for these scholarships.

UNI Scholarship Application

The UNI Scholarship Application allows students to apply for hundreds of UNI scholarships from various departments or UNI foundation scholarships. This application can be completed each year starting July 1st.

Off-Campus Scholarships

Off-campus scholarships are scholarships awarded by donors or organizations outside of UNI, such as high schools, civic or religious organizations, or businesses.

General Scholarship Policies

For the purpose of these guidelines, scholarships are broken into three categories:

Admissions Based

These automatic scholarships are awarded at the time of admission and do not require the UNI Scholarship Application.

Financial Aid

These scholarships are awarded by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. Your scholarship offer letter will come from our office.

‌Departmental

These scholarships are awarded by various departments across campus and can include scholarships from donors.

General guidelines for on-campus scholarships:

You must be enrolled full-time (12+ for undergraduate students; 9+ credits for graduate students) each semester you are to receive the scholarship. There are some Departments that don't require full-time enrollment for their scholarships, please contact the Department for confirmation.
Scholarships will be split equally between the fall and spring semesters
You must complete the UNI Scholarship Application to be eligible for any Financial Aid or Departmental awards

Scholarship FAQ

Are scholarships renewable?

Renewal of University scholarships may require maintaining any or all of the following: minimum grade point average, financial need, major, Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and/or annual completion and submission of the UNI Scholarship Application. Refer to your scholarship offer letter for specific renewal criteria.

What is an off-campus scholarship?

Scholarships that are awarded from the local community, organizations, or other private sources are considered off-campus scholarships. Students receiving scholarships from outside sources must report these scholarships by logging in to MyUNIverse, going to the Student Center, and clicking on "Report Other Financial Aid."

Why do I need to report off-campus scholarships?

Federal regulations require all scholarship(s) be included in your financial aid package. Scholarships may reduce or replace a portion of your financial aid award. Loans are the first item to be adjusted on your financial aid award.

If I receive an off-campus scholarship, what do I do?

Report off-campus scholarships by logging in to MyUNIverse, going to the Student Center, and clicking on "Report Other Financial Aid."
Scholarship checks are usually made out to you and to UNI. All scholarship check(s), co-payable or not, should be turned in to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, 105 Gilchrist Hall, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0024. When submitting scholarship checks to UNI, please endorse the check and include your student ID number.
Scholarship amounts will be split evenly between semesters unless otherwise noted by the donor.
Submitting scholarship checks to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships by July 31 allows you to receive credit for your scholarship on the first fall university bill. For crediting of scholarships to the first spring semester bill, the checks should be received by December 15.

My off-campus scholarship donor needs my billing history. How do I get it?

The University of Northern Iowa does not bill donors. If the donor of your scholarship requires notification of billing, you can go to MyUNIverse and print your billing history. Navigate to your Student Center by logging in to MyUNIverse and going to the Student Center. Within the Finances section on the Student Center, you will find a dropdown menu that will include Account Activity.

My off-campus scholarship donor needs proof that I am enrolled. How do I get it?

Please log in to this link to request enrollment verification: Student Enrollment Verification.

You may also go to MyUNIverse and print your class schedule, if acceptable to the scholarship donor. Navigate to your Student Center by logging in to MyUNIverse and going to the Student Center. Within the Academics section, click on "My Academics" to view your class schedule.

If neither of these options work, please contact the Office of the Registrar at (319) 273-2241.

What procedures are suggested for off-campus scholarship donors?

Make the check payable to the University of Northern Iowa. Include the student's name and UNI ID number on the memo line or with the accompanying letter.
If you'd like, you may click here for a donor form you may complete to accompany your scholarship check.
Consider your canceled check your receipt. If you or your organization needs verification of this credit to the student's account, you should ask the student to send you a copy of their billing history.
For scholarships to credit to the student's first bill for the fall semester, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships should receive checks by July 31. For the spring semester, the checks should be received by December 15.

Why doesn't my scholarship show up on my university bill (U-Bill)?

Scholarships post to your bill after the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships receives the check. Unless otherwise specified by the donor, scholarships credit to your account in two parts: half applies to the fall semester and half applies to the spring semester.
Scholarships automatically credit your account when you're enrolled full time (12 hours for undergraduates or 9 hours for graduate students).
Make sure you have fulfilled all the requirements asked by your donor when you received the scholarship.
While waiting for your scholarship to credit your account, you are responsible for paying the balance due using other sources.

Should I thank my scholarship donor?

Absolutely! As soon as you receive notice of your scholarship award, you should write a thank-you note to your scholarship donor. Funds for scholarships come from individuals who have given their own assets to assist students. It is very important to thank them for their generosity. In the thank-you letter refer to the scholarship by the name displayed on the award. Tell the donor about yourself, such as where you are from, major, why you chose UNI, goals and future plans. Be sure to thank them and proofread your letter!

Your scholarship offer letter should contain information on where to send your thank you letter to. Some donors are no longer living or wish to remain anonymous. In those cases the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is listed as the contact information for the thank you letter. If no donor contact information was included in your offer letter, please contact the department for an address.

What if I’m graduating in December?

Admissions Based Scholarships: You can only receive one semester’s worth of funds for the semester you are enrolled full-time at UNI.
Financial Aid: You can only receive one semester’s worth of funds for the semester you are enrolled full-time at UNI.
Departmental Scholarships: Moving the funds to one semester is at the discretion of the department and you will want to speak with them regarding this.

What happens to my scholarship if I withdraw from UNI?

If you withdraw from classes, the unused funds are returned to the donor. You will need to inform the donor of your future plans.
If the scholarship is a UNI Foundation award, the department administering the award will review scholarship guidelines. Depending on donor specific guidelines, the award may be removed.

What if My GPA didn't qualify for renewal?

Admissions Based Scholarships: These scholarships require that you continuously receive the scholarship. If you are not eligible for renewal one year, you will not be able to continue receiving it.
Financial Aid: If your GPA was not eligible for renewal or if the scholarship was a one-year scholarship, we would encourage you to complete the UNI Scholarship Application to be eligible for other scholarships.
Departmental Scholarships: This is dependent on the scholarship guidelines and at the discretion of the department. Speak with the department that awarded the scholarship regarding your eligibility for renewal and other opportunities.

What if I’m going to be taking a semester off for an internship (I will not be enrolled full-time)?

Can I receive the entire year’s worth of the scholarship in the one semester I will be enrolled at UNI?

Admissions Based Scholarships: No, you will only receive one semester’s worth of funds for the semester you are enrolled full-time at UNI.
Financial Aid: No, you will only receive one semester’s worth of funds for the semester you are enrolled full-time at UNI.
Departmental Scholarships: You will not be eligible to receive the scholarship during the semester you will be gone. However, moving the funds to one semester is at the discretion of the department and you will want to speak with them regarding renewability of the scholarship.

Will I be able to receive my scholarship when I come back?

Admissions Based Scholarships: These scholarships require full-time continuous enrollment to be eligible for renewal. You can receive the scholarship once you return if you are completing a transcript notation with Career Services for the internship. The semester of the internship does not count towards your semesters of eligibility for the scholarship.
Financial Aid: It depends on the scholarship guidelines and funding levels. If the scholarship is renewable, you will be reviewed during awarding for the upcoming year and may be renewed. Please make sure to complete the UNI Scholarship Application to be eligible.
Departmental Scholarships: This depends on the scholarship guidelines and the discretion of the department. Please contact the department that awarded the scholarship regarding your eligibility for renewal.

Donors with established UNI Foundation accounts

Can be certain the gift will be maximized and administered using guidelines established on Statement of Gift Intent (SOGI) and/or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Will not be required to follow up with a student recipient in regards to their enrollment or billing status with the university

How do I setup a scholarship fund/account with UNI?

Please contact:
University of Northern Iowa Foundation
204 Commons
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0282
Telephone: 319-273-6078 or 800-782-9522
Fax: 319-273-3465
Email: uni.foundation@uni.edu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship Resources

Raise Me

We participated with RaiseMe through June 2021. Although we are no longer awarding new students micro-scholarships, we are honoring all previously awarded RaiseMe recipients their four year scholarships.